A fluid flow process includes any process that involves the flow of fluid through pipes, ducts, or other conduits, as well as through fluid control devices such as pumps, valves, orifices, heat exchangers, and the like. Flow processes are found in many different industries such as the oil and gas industry, refining, food and beverage industry, chemical and petrochemical industry, pulp and paper industry, power generation, pharmaceutical industry, and water and wastewater treatment industry. The fluid within the flow process may be a single phase fluid (e.g., gas, liquid or liquid/liquid mixture) and/or a multi-phase mixture (e.g., paper and pulp slurries or other solid/liquid mixtures). The multi-phase mixture may be a two-phase liquid/gas mixture, a solid/gas mixture or a solid/liquid mixture, gas entrained liquid or a three-phase mixture.
Various sensing technologies exist for measuring various physical parameters of single and/or multiphase fluids in an industrial flow process. Such physical parameters include, for example, volumetric flow rate, composition, consistency, density, and mass flow rate.
It is an object of the present invention is to provide an automated meter station monitoring system for a fluid comprising: a processor having algorithms for verifying performance of a fluid flow measurement system; a pressure sensor operatively connected to said processor, said pressure sensor measuring the pressure of the fluid; a temperature sensor operatively connected to said processor, said temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the fluid; a gas chromatograph operatively connected to said processor, said gas chromatograph monitoring changes in gas composition and chromatograph response factors of the fluid; an ultrasonic meter operatively connected to said processor, said ultrasonic meter monitoring velocity of the fluid, speed of sound of the fluid, and meter diagnostics; and a flow computer operatively connected to said processor, said flow computer recording pressure of the fluid, recording temperature of the fluid, recording gas composition of the fluid, calculating compressibility ratio of the fluid, calculating standard flow rate of the fluid, and calculating energy rate of the fluid.
It is a another object of the present invention is to provide a method for automated monitoring of a fluid comprising: providing a processor having algorithms for verifying the performance of a fluid flow measurement system; providing a pressure sensor operatively connected to said processor, said pressure sensor measuring the pressure of the fluid; providing a temperature sensor operatively connected to said processor, said temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the fluid; providing a gas chromatograph operatively connected to said processor, said gas chromatograph monitoring changes in gas composition and chromatograph response factors of the fluid; providing an ultrasonic meter operatively connected to said processor, said ultrasonic meter monitoring velocity, speed of sound of the fluid, and meter diagnostics; and providing a flow computer operatively connected to said processor, said flow computer recording pressure of the fluid, recoding temperature of the fluid, and recording gas composition of the fluid; calculating compressibility ratio of the fluid through said flow computer; calculating standard flow rate of the fluid through said flow computer; and calculating energy rate of the fluid through said flow computer.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.